Thill or pole coupling



N0. 62l,5|0 Patented Mar. 2l, |899. E. E. WHITNEY.

THILL 0R POLE GOUPLING.

(Application led Jan. 30, 1899.)

(No Mudel.)

Ni'rnn STATES FFICE@ f PATENT THILL OR POLE COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Yatent No. 621,510, dated March 21, 1899. Application filed January 30, 1899.v Serial No. 703,854. (No inodel.)

vT0 all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EARLE ELBRIDGE WHIT- NEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wonewoc, in the county of Juneau and State of VVisconsiu, have invented a new and useful Thill or Pole Coupling, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to thill and pole couplings, and has for its object to provide a simple device of this character which will conneet' the thill or pole to an axle in a substantial and eective manner and which may readily be disconnected for the substitution of a pole for a pair of thills, or vice versa.

To these ends the present invention consists in the combination andarrangement of the several parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the device. Figs. 2 and 3, respectively, are detail perspective views of the two members of the coupling detached.

Corresponding parts are designated by like reference characters in all the figures of the drawings.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, and especially to Fig. 2 thereof, the coupling member, which is connected to the axle of a vehicle, comprises a flat base 1, having a front stop-shoulder 2, which is undercut, as at 3, upon its rear face. A portion of the upper face of the base 1, in rear of the stopshoulder 2, is toothed or serrated transversely, as at 4, and provided with a longitudinal slot 5, extending a suitable distance across the serrated portion of the base. Midway between the sides of thebase and at the vertex of the angle formed between the undercut face of the shoulder 2 and the upper face of the base is provided a lateral stop in the form of a lug or projection 6. A movable clamping-block 7, having a front undercut face 8 and a lower toothed or serrated face 9, which is adapted to cooperate with the serrated face of the base 1. This block is longitudinally adjusted upon the base by means of a bolt 10,`carried by the block and slidably received in the slot 5. The head 11 of the bolt engages the unde'r side of the base, and a thumb-screw 11l is fitted to the upper end of the bolt and adapted to beset against the upper side of the block, whereby the lattermay be held at any desired adjustment. The rear end 12 of the base is adapted to be fitted iiush against the under face of an aXlelS, to which it is connected by the usual clip-bolt 14, as shown in Fig. 1. The other member, which is adapted to be tted to the thill or tongue, is shown in Fig. 3 and comprises a iiat body 15, which is provided with a depending rear head 16, which is cut away vertically in its rear end, as at 17, to receive the end of the thill or pole. A fixed block 18 depends from near the front end of the body v15, and its front and rear faces 19 and 20, respectively, are beveled or inclined upwardly and convergently, and a notch 21 is formed inthe lower rear edge of the block.

To assemble the device, the member 1 is fitted to the axle, as heretofore described, and the thillor tongue 22 is placed in the notch 17 of vthe member 15 and bolted to the sides of the headl. The movable block 7 is then moved back as far as possible, and the fixed block 18 is passed laterally in between the stop-shoulder 2 andthe block 7 ofthe member 1, after which the movable block is set up tightly against the fixed block and locked there by means of the thumb-screw. The xed 4block of the member 15 is thus firmly clamped between the stop-shoulder and the adjustable block of the member 1, and the projection 6 is fitted into the notch 21 in the fixed block, whereby accidental lateral separation of the members is prevented. It will thus be apparent that the coupling may be readily connected or disconnected, as itissimply necessary to adjust the movable block 7.V l

Changes in the form, proportion, size, and

the minor details of construction within the v scope of the appended claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention. Having thus described lthe invention, what is claimed is- 1. A thill or pole coupling, comprising a member having a fixed stop-shoulder and an IOO adjustable clamp, and a second member having a ixed block or shoulder, the latter being fitted between the stop-shoulder and the adjustable clamp of theflrst member, Substantially as shown and described.

2. A thill or pole coupling, comprising a member having a stop-shoulder and an adjustable clamp adapted to cooperate therewith, the stop-shoulder being provided with a lug or projection, and a second member having a fixed shoulder 'or block which is provided With a notch or recess, substantiallyas and for the purpose set forth.

3. A thill or pole coupling, comprising a member having a stop-shoulder at one end and provided With a slot near the other end thereof, and a movable block carrying a bolt which is provided with a set-screw, the bolt being slidably mounted in the slot, and a second member having a fixed block or shoulder which is adapted to be clamped between the stop-shoulder and the movable block 0f the iirst member, substantially as shown and der member having a fixed stop-shoulder and an adjustable clam p, the shoulder and clamp respectively being undercut upon their opposing faces, and a second member having a fixed block or shoulder, which has its opposite longitudinal faces beveled or'inclined upwardly and convergently, the latter block being clamped between the undercut faces of the shoulder and adjustable clamp of the first member, substantially as shown and dcscribed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

EARLE ELBRID GE T I'IITNEY.

Witnesses:

II. C. DoUGLAss, H. W. BRUNNER. 

